DESERT ISLAND ALBUMS

All the music aficionados are counting down the days until RECORD STORE DAY hits our calendar. April 13promises to deliver a slew of sonically delicious goods – including a David Bowie Pins Ups picture disc, a 6LP Devo Box, a 180 gram orange Yes vinyl and other lifetime faves. And you can bet that I (alongside my adolescent Madonnawannabeself) have my heart set on a rare limited edition vinyl of the material girl’s True Blue album.

Music is what gives us our childhood, our adulthood – and everything in between. It’s what hits rewind on memories for a lifetime. Lyrics and their underlying compositions modulate our emotions subconsciously and consciously; it validates us, invigorates us, infuriates us, inspires. There is so much story and reason behind what or why music spiritually guts a person — so I thought it would be a cool and educational task to put together a list of our top music industry leaders’ desert island albums. I’m curious to know what lyrics and beats moved them so much that it helped set them on a path toward dedicating their entire careers to breathing it in and out. Here we go.

+ I’m a sucker for a concept album, the personnel lineup was arguably the most important and influential of his 50-year arc and it gave birth to Bowie’s alien alter-ego; a critical component of his artistic personae his entire career.

+ This magical album takes me back to college and brings back the feeling of being free …when listening to music was something you just HAD to do to just as much as breathing. “Romeo & Juliet” had an effect on me like no other.

+ The album that finally convinced all the naysayers I grew up with to call me and apologize for saying “rap isn’t real music.” (Not that I took their calls. :)) A year later, I’m still discovering lyrical gems buried deep within Kendrick’s (third) masterpiece.

NOW & THEN: ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK:: as suggested by AMANDA KRIEG THOMAS (Music Supervisor for The Americans, Claws, 9-1-1, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story — and music industry blogger)

+ This movie was so seminal to my “coming of age” and I remember falling in love with and learning every lyric to every song. Even to this day I can recall most of the scenes the songs were used in. Plus if I am on a desert island I want “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours” and “I Want You Back” especially at the ready.

…. and last (but certainly never least), here we are with the critically acclaimed and leading expert in pop culture, Dr. Todd Boyd.

MAIDEN VOYAGE(HERBIE HANCOCK):: as suggested by TODD BOYD akaNotorious Ph.D.(Katherine and Frank Price Endowed Chair for the Study of Race & Popular Culture and Professor of Critical Studies in the USC School of Cinematic Arts)

+ “Maiden Voyage” is the coolest album ever recorded. Freddie Hubbard’s trumpet solo on the title track alone is enough to keep you floating for days!

++ A huge thank you to all the professional music junkies who put this post together. See you in the record stores – and until then, here are some notes to nourish you. Here is The Desert Island Albums Spotifyplaylist. Shuffle away.